Texas Rangers Blog

Ron Washington: “We need reinforcements”

ARLINGTON – After watching his team blow leads of at least four runs twice in the last eight days, Ron Washington didn’t mine words Wednesday afternoon.

“We need reinforcements,” he said of his bullpen situation.

Washington, however, said he was not urging or pleading with the front office to make a trade for bullpen help. When asked about potential internal options for reinforcing the bullpen, Washington had no answers.

“It’s that time of year. Everybody wants to make their team better. Everybody is trying to get reinforcements. That I want to also shouldn’t be any big deal.”

Rangers general manager Jon Daniels has said repeatedly that the club’s focus as the July 31 trade deadline approaches is improving the bullpen. Daniels also has acknowledged, as recently as Tuesday, that the chances of making a trade are “about 50-50 or a little less.”

Among the clubs the Rangers have contacted while searching for bullpen help are Oakland (regarding Andrew Bailey), San Diego (Heath Bell and Mike Adams), Florida (Leo Nunez).

The Rangers blew a 7-3 lead on Tuesday in an eventual 9-8 loss to Minnesota. RHP Neftali Feliz allowed a pair of runs in the ninth after the lead had dwindled to 8-7. It was the fifth blown save for Feliz this season. He blew three all of last year.